A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of instruments, more specifically, an instrument made of a plurality of graphite layers and wood veneers.
B. Discussion of the Prior Art
As a preliminary note, it should be stated that there is an ample amount of prior art that deals with instruments. As will be discussed immediately below, no prior art discloses an instrument that involves a plurality of graphite layers along with a veneer layer and of which includes a honeycomb layer sandwiched amongst the graphite layers.
The Mace patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,774,292) discloses a graphite/carbon fiber and wood neck for stringed musical instruments. However, the disclosure is limited to just the neck of the musical instrument, and not the body of the instrument, which includes the bridge.
The Lieber patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,130) discloses a bowl-shaped body formed in a single piece of graphite, fiberglass, or impregnated fabric. However, the disclosure of the Lieber patent is directed only to the body, and not an entire instrument, including the neck being made of a plurality of layers of graphite fiber.
The Janes et al. patent discloses an improved guitar soundboard that is made of a plurality of layers of epoxy impregnated graphite fibers. Again, the content of the Janes patent is limited to the soundboard and does not include a corresponding neck of the instrument.
The Teel patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,664,452) discloses an acoustic guitar constructed with a pre-finished graphite soundboard and a pre-finished high pressure laminate backboard and sidewall. Again, the guitar of the Teel patent is limited to the soundboard and does not include a corresponding neck of the instrument.
The Jagmin patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,833,501) discloses an acoustic guitar assembly that includes graphite rods and graphite ribs. However, the guitar does not include a soundboard made of graphite layers with a bridge reinforcement made of graphite layers.
The Kaman patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,040) discloses a multiple ply soundboard for a guitar that is made of inner and outer plies of oriented graphite fiber material. Again, the disclosure is limited to a soundboard, and not a bridge reinforcement and neck made of or with reinforced graphite fibers.
The Alfred, III patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,276,868) discloses a carbon-fiber laminate musical instrument sound board, which does not disclose a bridge reinforcement or neck made of or with reinforced graphite fibers.
The Van Vliet patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,282,630) discloses a soundboard for a musical instrument comprising nanostructured aluminum materials. However, the soundboard is made of aluminum as opposed to a plurality of layers of reinforced graphite fibers.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective and particular objects and requirements, they do not describe a wood on graphite layup instrument that includes a soundboard and reinforced bridge composed of several layers of reinforced graphite fibers and a neck that utilizes a plurality of graphite rods or reinforced plies. In this regard, the wood on graphite layup instrument departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art.